IllinoisTimes - Cinemascopinghttp://illinoistimes.com/articles.sec-141-1-cinemascoping.html
Wed, 21 Feb 18 00:00:00 -0600enhourly1“15:17” a Well-Intended Misfire http://illinoistimes.com/article-19703-%25E2%2580%259C1517%25E2%2580%259D-a-well-intended-misfire.html
“15:17” a Well-Intended Misfire If good intentions were all that were needed to craft a successful motion picture, Clint Eastwood’s The 15:17 to Paris, would be one of the finest films in the director’s long and storied career. ...]]>Nonsensical "Paradox" a "Cloverfield" Reject http://illinoistimes.com/article-19675-nonsensical-paradox-a-cloverfield-reject.html
Nonsensical "Paradox" a "Cloverfield" Reject A funny thing happened amidst the hoopla that was Super Bowl LII. Netflix ran the first trailer for The Cloverfield Paradox, the next entry in J.J. Abrams unorthodox sci-fi franchise…a...]]>Runner Goes Nowhere Fast with Curehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19653-runner-goes-nowhere-fast-with-cure.html
Runner Goes Nowhere Fast with Cure While the film adaptations of The Hunger Games took full advantage of the dystopian adventure craze that swept through the youth literature sector, the similarly-plotted Divergent movies petered out...]]>Robbie Skates for Gold in “I, Tonya” http://illinoistimes.com/article-19606-robbie-skates-for-gold-in-%25E2%2580%259Ci-tonya%25E2%2580%259D.html
Robbie Skates for Gold in “I, Tonya” The saga of Tonya Harding was reality television before the term even existed. As a college student, I remember turning on the news each night as the attack of her rival Nancy Kerrigan was investigate...]]>Ponderous "Last Key" Crawls Towards Scareshttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19559-ponderous-last-key-crawls-towards-scares.html
Ponderous "Last Key" Crawls Towards Scares Defying the notion that crisp pacing is essential to the success of any movie, particularly a horror film, Insidious: The Last Key meanders along without a care in the world, seemingly caring not a ...]]>Compelling "Molly’s Game" Seems Incompletehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19560-compelling-molly%25E2%2580%2599s-game-seems-incomplete.html
Compelling "Molly’s Game" Seems Incomplete More martyr than manipulator, Molly Bloom comes off as a fall gal for the rich and famous in Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut Molly’s Game, a true-life tale of high rollers, lowlifes, movie star...]]> “All the Money” Worth All the Troublehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19498-%25E2%2580%259Call-the-money%25E2%2580%259D-worth-all-the-trouble.html
“All the Money” Worth All the Trouble The notion in public relations is that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. That certainly has been disproven this year what with the many accusations of sexual assault leveled at many i...]]> "Showman" an Empty Spectaclehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19497-showman-an-empty-spectacle.html
"Showman" an Empty Spectacle Director Cecil B. DeMille, amassed a fortune, entertained millions and skewed their perception history with his historical epics. With King of Kings, The Plainsman, The Buccaneer and many othe...]]> Veteran Cast Saves Jumanji Reduxhttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19495-veteran-cast-saves-jumanji-redux.html
Veteran Cast Saves Jumanji Redux Reboot, remake, homage, rip-off, call them what you will, films that recycle old ideas have been with us since the early days of cinema. If it’s successful once on the silver screen, studio...]]> Passable "Ferdinand" a Sweet, Timely Fablehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19496-passable-ferdinand-a-sweet-timely-fable.html
Passable "Ferdinand" a Sweet, Timely Fable Used as a metaphor in The Blind Side and originally seen as a piece of political propaganda, Munro Leaf’s The Story of Ferdinand has been a staple of children’s libraries since the 1940’s, selli...]]>Winslet Spins Familiar Wheelhttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19459-winslet-spins-familiar-wheel.html
Winslet Spins Familiar Wheel Ford, Hawks, Hitchcock, Scorsese, Eastwood and Spielberg, as well as too many other filmmakers to count, have returned time and again to familiar themes to explore at various points in their careers...]]> Performances, Sharp Writing Propel “Three Billboards.”http://illinoistimes.com/article-19410-performances-sharp-writing-propel-%25E2%2580%259Cthree-billboards%25E2%2580%259D.html
Performances, Sharp Writing Propel “Three Billboards.” There’s a righteous anger propelling Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and it doesn’t pertain simply to the plight of its main character, grieving mother Mildred Hayes...]]> Darkness and Light Perfectly Balanced in "Christmas"http://illinoistimes.com/article-19395-darkness-and-light-perfectly-balanced-in-christmas.html
Darkness and Light Perfectly Balanced in "Christmas" A fascinating man with many conflicting attitudes and personae, Charles Dickens was a major celebrity from 1840 until his death in 1870. His serialized stories were a sensation, captivating r...]]> Familiar “Daddy’s Home 2” Still Effectivehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19348-familiar-%25E2%2580%259Cdaddy%25E2%2580%2599s-home-2%25E2%2580%259D-still-effective.html
Familiar “Daddy’s Home 2” Still Effective There’s nothing new in Daddy’s Home 2, something that works to its advantage and detriment. The comedic dynamic between stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, the former doing his patented overgr...]]>Brothers in Arms - Teller, Hall & Schumann Discuss “Thank You for Your Service.”http://illinoistimes.com/article-19285-brothers-in-arms-teller-hall-schumann-discuss-%25E2%2580%259Cthank-you-for-your-service%25E2%2580%259D.html
Brothers in Arms - Teller, Hall & Schumann Discuss “Thank You for Your Service.” Imagine that you’ve served nearly three tours of duty in an incredibly dangerous warzone and when you return home, all that you thought you were sure of – your job, the relationship with y...]]> “The Snowman” – Yes, It is that Bad http://illinoistimes.com/article-19286-%25E2%2580%259Cthe-snowman%25E2%2580%259D-%25E2%2580%2593-yes-it-is-that-bad.html
“The Snowman” – Yes, It is that Bad I ran into someone over the weekend who said to me, “We just came from seeing ‘The Snowman.’ With all the people in it, I didn’t believe it could be as bad as everyone’s saying it is.&nbsp...]]> Powerful “Thank You” Recounts Vets’ Long Journey Homehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19287-powerful-%25E2%2580%259Cthank-you%25E2%2580%259D-recounts-vets%25E2%2580%2599-long-journey-home.html
Powerful “Thank You” Recounts Vets’ Long Journey Home “I’m going to name my son after me so I don’t forget his name.” This is the sort of coping mechanism the veterans in Jason Hall’s impressive debut Thank You for Your Service are forced ...]]>Chan, Brosnan Drive Smart “Foreigner”http://illinoistimes.com/article-19272-chan-brosnan-drive-smart-%25E2%2580%259Cforeigner%25E2%2580%259D.html
Chan, Brosnan Drive Smart “Foreigner” There’s no question that Jackie Chan has lost a step or three. Yet, he’s able to do things no normal 63 year-old man should. You need no computer-generated effects in a Jackie Chan...]]>Cruise Makes American Made Soarhttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19228-cruise-makes-american-made-soar.html
Cruise Makes American Made Soar A couple of years ago, an article appeared that claimed that there were no more movies stars. The contention was that putting any actor or actress’ name above the title didn’t sell tickets a...]]> "Victoria and Abdul" An Entertaining, History-Lite Exercisehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19229-victoria-and-abdul-an-entertaining-history-lite-exercise.html
"Victoria and Abdul" An Entertaining, History-Lite Exercise In 1887, as part of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubliee, the monarch received two Indian servants to honor the occasion. One of them was Hafiz Mohammed Abdul Karim, a 14 year old who was the son...]]>Ending Mars “Mountain”http://illinoistimes.com/article-19230-ending-mars-%25E2%2580%259Cmountain%25E2%2580%259D.html
Ending Mars “Mountain” I sometimes wonder why actors and actresses chose to appear in the movies they do. I’m sure some choices are made because of the size of the paycheck they’re getting, others are done in t...]]>http://illinoistimes.com/article-19199-.html
There’s a sense of anticipation in Mike White’s Brad’s Status, one that unfortunately is never realized. The writer/director’s previous films – among them The Good Girl, School of Ro...]]> Well-Made Assassin Cut Above the Usual Action Farehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19146-well-made-assassin-cut-above-the-usual-action-fare.html
Well-Made Assassin Cut Above the Usual Action Fare Timely and smart, Michael Cuesta’s American Assassin proves to be a worthy successor to the Jack Ryan films. Based on the novel by Vince Flynn, the author’s spy du jour, Mitch Rapp is the ...]]> Macdonald & Jasper Find Their Voices in “Patti Cake$”http://illinoistimes.com/article-19074-macdonald-jasper-find-their-voices-in-%25E2%2580%259Cpatti-cake%2524%25E2%2580%259D.html
Macdonald & Jasper Find Their Voices in “Patti Cake$” Director Geremy Jasper may have been concerned about many things while making his debut feature Patti Cake$ but actress Danielle Macdonald wasn’t one of them. For the title role he needed a c...]]> “Hitman’s Bodyguard” Misses the Markhttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19061-%25E2%2580%259Chitman%25E2%2580%2599s-bodyguard%25E2%2580%259D-misses-the-mark.html
“Hitman’s Bodyguard” Misses the Mark Timing is everything in life, as well as the movies, and it certainly works against Patrick Hughes’ The Hitman’s Bodyguard, a standard actioner that contains a few too many scenes that hit...]]>Meandering “Wind River” Lacks Focushttp://illinoistimes.com/article-19028-meandering-%25E2%2580%259Cwind-river%25E2%2580%259D-lacks-focus.html
Meandering “Wind River” Lacks Focus There’s an “almost, not quite” quality to Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River, a thriller with great potential that gets lost thanks to its oblique narrative. It surely isn’t a lack of tale...]]> “Kidnap”: An Insulting, Exploitive Exercise http://illinoistimes.com/article-18969-%25E2%2580%259Ckidnap%25E2%2580%259D-an-insulting-exploitive-exercise.html
“Kidnap”: An Insulting, Exploitive Exercise The issue of child abduction is hardly one to be made light of, yet Luis Prieto’s Kidnap uses the subject as a catalyst for a Death Wish-like vehicle for actress Halle Berry. Stupid to an i...]]> Fun “Wish Upon” Exceeds Expectationshttp://illinoistimes.com/article-18922-fun-%25E2%2580%259Cwish-upon%25E2%2580%259D-exceeds-expectations.html
Fun “Wish Upon” Exceeds Expectations A new take on the classic horror tale The Monkey’s Paw, John R. Leonetti’s Wish Upon proves to be far more fun than it has a right to be. Driven by a winning performance by actress Joey King...]]> Effective, Haunting “Beguiled” Hard to Shakehttp://illinoistimes.com/article-18897-effective-haunting-%25E2%2580%259Cbeguiled%25E2%2580%259D-hard-to-shake.html
Effective, Haunting “Beguiled” Hard to Shake While I often object to remakes of films that were well made the first time around, Sophia Coppola’s The Beguiled, a redo of the little-known Clint Eastwood feature, proves to be a worthy exercise...]]> Sincerity, Humor Make “Big Sick” a Winner http://illinoistimes.com/article-18898-sincerity-humor-make-%25E2%2580%259Cbig-sick%25E2%2580%259D-a-winner.html
Sincerity, Humor Make “Big Sick” a Winner Director Michael Showalter and his cast pull off an impressive high-wire act with The Big Sick, an account of the early days in the relationship between Pakistani comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his wi...]]>